[Ugnet] Re: [UNAANET] Nigeria MPs 3rd term bribes shamed Africa

Thu, 18 May 2006 18:09:50 -0700



Ssemakula <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Mr. Lugemwa,
 
It'd appear that Uganda's history likes to reat itself -- or rather, that we do not learn from our history.
 
Not too long ago, members of UPC wanted to toss out their leader, Obote. He responded by throwing his political opponents in indefinite detention. These events were chronicled by one of the victims, Grace Stuart K. Ibingira in his 1980 book,  African Upheavals After Independence.
 
Unfortunately, this book which was written by a man who was an insider in UPC and Obote's confidant and advisor is virtually unknown in Uganda, and is studiously ignored by those who know about it. Nonetheless, this book is one of the most important and complete accounts of Uganda's political history in the period 1960 - 1966.
 
The earliest victim was Kakonge (from Bunyoro?), who was a Marxist and apprarently quite brilliant, and feared by Obote. I have heard it said that he was the first Ugandan, in post-colonial Uganda to go into exile for political reasons. His choice of refuge was Tanganyika. By the time Obote's turn came around it had become Tanzania.
 
Ibingira, like Kategaya was a from Ankore, and like Kategaya he was lawyer. Like Dr. Kiiza Besigye, also from Western Uganda, he was also close to the man he tried to unseat in a legitimate political process, and was later jailed for practicing democracy. Thus far, Kategaya hasn't been a guest at Luzira University.
 
Anyhow, you may find some excerpts from Ibingira's book at:
 


----- Original Message ----
From: Lugemwa FN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 12:54:44 PM
Subject: Re: [UNAANET] Nigeria MPs 3rd term bribes shamed Africa

Dr. Senkayi,

The Nigerian MPs had courage  and showed some political maturity.  With all the corruption and eating, the President failed to get what he wanted.
 
I don't how popular Obasanjo is--but at one time,  Nigeria's House of Representatives, dominated by his own Peoples Democratic Party-- wanted to throw him out---which would have eliminated his bid for a second term.

So when the third term debate surfaced, he was a wounded president, and could not get the needed two-third majority.  The stakes were higher and hence stiff price.

If Kategaya, Bidandi Ssali, Matembe and co. hadn't been purged early, President Museveni's bid for a third term would have been more difficult.  But also during the Bisanja debate, Uganda was a one-party state.
 
Would the results have been difficult if Nigeria had a pure unitary system?  Probably.
 
FN  Lugemwa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Abu Senkayi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Dr. Lugemwa:
 
I am sure that their diluted federo system probably saved them from Bisanja.  I suspect that the Nigerians have worked out a system where the presidency rotates among different states.  That is probably why they did not want to deviate from this process, but I will be interested in hearing your views on why the Bisanja was rejected in Nigeria.
 
Abu

Lugemwa FN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Dr. Senkayi ,

I wonder whether their system of governance--the diluted federo--saved them from Bisanja.  The girl in charge of the 'Yellow Book' must also have done a poor job of dishing out the 'facilitation'  dollars.


FN  Lugemwa




Abu Senkayi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
http://www.monitor.co.ug/oped/oped05171.php

Nigerias Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is investigating claims that members of parliament have been bribed to ensure that the presidential term limits are lifted so that the incumbent can stand again after finishing the two terms allowed by the constitution.

These are the kind of reports which racists love to hear for they wrongly prove that however highly you train and elevate an African, there are certain values he will never internalise; that even if someone is elected as leader and representative of hundreds of thousands of people in the national legislature, his decisions can easily be determined by he who can put an extra spoon of food in his stomach, even if it is already full.

To be fair to them, the Nigerian MPs who are being investigated did not price themselves cheaply. In line with the Nigerian saying that when you choose to eat a toad better pick a fat and juicy one, they are said to have pocketed up to $390,000 (Shs700 million) to cast a vote in favour of the third term. The whistle blower, MP Uche Onyeagucha told the BBC that he had been offered a plot of land in the capital, Abuja, if he supported the Bill.

But even though these MPs value themselves and are being offered a reasonable bribe to support the third term, what they are doing is taking back democracy many steps. After Nigeria overcame the scourge of military dictatorships, prostituting MPs for some bits of silver, however many, to defile the constitution is not much better than armed rule. If the MPs believe that the third term is right for their country, then they should not take bribes to support it.

Even if the bribed MPs pass the constitutional amendment and the third term is legalised in Nigeria, it will not improve governance in the country because of its illegitimate conception. Nigeria is a great African country which should not sink to the levels of allowing someone to buy contents of the constitution with money whose origin itself is questionable.

Recent economic indicators from Nigeria were quite promising, showing that the country which was once Africas largest debtor is now out of the red. But all this may come to zero if the countrys politics is defiled by such facilitation as apologists for corruption call it.

Ugandan MPs who are swearing in for the Eighth Parliament should avoid sinking into such prostitution.


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